Bourne town cemetery

Burials in the churchyard of the Abbey Church ended during the mid-19th century with the opening of the town cemetery. The Bourne Burial Board purchased four acres of land in South Road in 1854 for £420 from Sir Philip Duncombe Pauncefort Duncombe who was then Lord of the Manor of Bourne Abbots and it was freed from its manorial ties as a result of the purchase. However, a condition of sale was that the board would erect "a good and substantial stone wall" round the three sides of the cemetery which were contiguous to other land owned by Sir Philip, "such wall to be of the height of five feet above the level of the ground, and of a strength in proportion thereto, to the satisfaction of the said Sir Philip Duncombe Pauncefort Duncombe, his heirs and assigns". This wall was sturdily built of red brick and still stands today.

The cemetery was opened in June 1855 and stone markers bearing that date were erected around the boundaries of the site. In 1904, it was extended up to 5½ acres and in 1999 when land for further burial plots was exhausted, a further two acres were added beyond the brick wall and this is known today as the new cemetery. A stone chapel built for pre-burial services when the cemetery was opened is still in use as an office and store although closed to the public because the stonework and roof has become dangerous. Ornamental iron railings in black and gold have been added to the low stone wall fronting the road while in recent years a bungalow has been built for the cemetery supervisor in place of the stone lodge that was dismantled in the middle years of the 20th century.

The remains of 10,000 people are now buried in the cemetery which is administered by Bourne Town Council and is open every day from sunrise to sunset. The majority of the great and the good from the town and surrounding area who have since died are buried here and the graveyard contains an interesting mix of headstones and memorials, the early ones in stone and slate while black, white, red and grey marble and polished granite predominate for later burials. There is also a rose garden and a garden of remembrance for those who were cremated together with a large number of memorial seats, rose bushes, trees and shrubs marked with dedication plaques while the paths that crisscross the grounds are lined with well trimmed holly and yew trees and an occasional conifer with laurels around the boundary.

The wording on many of the stone memorials, especially those from the 19th century, has been eroded by wind and weather but a local record of those who are buried here is kept by the cemetery supervisor while a more detailed compilation exists on computer at the county records office in Lincoln.

Peter Ellis (left) with his groundsman David Flear after winning 
the Best in Britain award at Scarborough in September 2002.

Maintenance work in recent years has been of a particularly high standard under the current supervisor Peter Ellis and in the summer of 2002 his work was rewarded when the cemetery was judged to be one of the best in Britain. It was named for the Cemetery of the Year Awards, a nation-wide competition sponsored by the Confederation of Burial Authorities and judged during the year with several secret visits by appointed officials. They were looking for recent improvements and ongoing work that would enhance the appearance of the site and meet the wishes of the local community and the Bourne cemetery was voted top in the country in the 12 acres and under category. Peter Ellis and Councillor Mrs Shirley Cliffe, chairman of the town council's amenities committee which is responsible for cemetery administration, were in Scarborough on Monday 16th September to hear the announcement and to collect two engraved and gilt-lettered plaques that have been erected on a plinth at the entrance to the grounds.

An illustrated history of the cemetery and details of many of those who are buried there
can be found on the CD-ROM A Portrait of Bourne

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